Govt to provide skills training and job opportunities for students with poor SSC results

The government plans to offer technical training, language courses and employment opportunities to students who failed to achieve their expected grades in this year’s Secondary School Certificate (SSC) examinations, Prime Minister’s Adviser Dr Mahdi Amin said on Saturday.

The government is also considering providing seed funding to students with promising business ideas to help them establish small enterprises, he said while attending the Challenged Students Convention 2026 as the chief guest at the Bangladesh-China Friendship Conference Centre in Dhaka. The event was jointly organised by the Campaign for Popular Education (CAMPE) and Plan International Bangladesh, with CAMPE Executive Director Rasheda K. Choudhury presiding.

Mahdi Amin said Prime Minister Tarique Rahman had directed the Ministry of Education to compile a list of students who had not achieved satisfactory SSC results. Based on their interests, abilities and skills, the government would identify suitable training and employment opportunities for them.

“Success in the SSC examinations does not necessarily guarantee success in life, just as poor results do not mean failure in life,” he said.

He noted that a student might perform well in seven subjects but struggle in one, arguing that it would be unfair to determine the student’s entire future based on performance in a single subject.

Some students may have exceptional abilities in sports or cultural activities, while others may demonstrate scientific innovation or entrepreneurial potential, he said.

“Poor performance in one subject does not diminish a student’s other talents, creativity or intellectual capabilities,” he added.

Stressing that an individual’s potential should not be measured solely by formal education or academic certificates, the adviser encouraged students to remain confident and pursue opportunities that matched their abilities.

He said approximately 690,000 students had failed to obtain their desired results in this year’s SSC examinations, warning that national development would remain incomplete unless their prospects improved.

“Development in Bangladesh cannot be meaningful if we fail to change the fortunes of 690,000 students,” he said.

Mahdi Amin said the Ministry of Education was consulting the chairmen and secretaries of all education boards to formulate a targeted action plan in line with the prime minister’s instructions. Under the proposed initiative, students could receive training at technical training centres or enrol in technical and vocational education programmes.

The government is also exploring language training to prepare students for overseas employment. Potential options include Japanese, Korean and Chinese, as well as languages spoken in several Eastern European countries.

According to the adviser, combining three to six months of language instruction with technical skills training could improve students’ chances of securing jobs abroad.

He emphasised the importance of practical and vocational skills, saying students should not rely exclusively on SSC or Higher Secondary Certificate (HSC) qualifications to build their careers.

He also revealed that the government was discussing the possibility of allowing students who failed individual subjects to retake those examinations without having to wait an entire year.

Discussions have been held with representatives of teachers and parents on a proposal to allow students to sit for examinations in failed subjects within three months, he said.

The proposed initiatives aim to establish alternative educational and career pathways, helping students develop their abilities and access opportunities suited to their interests and skills.